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Clearly Paterson tried to break Armitage's arm with his neck - a callous assault that has no place in the game!
Who's reading the Irish press/sites? Any worries about the Wales game yet?
Who's reading the Irish press/sites?
Not me.
That's hideous. Deserves a citing/ban.
if the ref had seen it would he have got a yellow or a red?
if you're cited does that mean you're guaranteed to receive a ban?
That's hideous. Deserves a citing/ban.if the ref had seen it would he have got a yellow or a red?
if you're cited does that mean you're guaranteed to receive a ban?
to be fair its not that bad, but in combination with previous he could be in trouble.
Whats the story with Best isnt he the second hooker to go down? Who is next in line?
roberts was holding his shoulder when he went off, Gethin aparently limped off and Warburton left with 5 mins or so to go and wasnt replaced, three key players. Wonder if Hook, Lydiate and Shane will be fit and if they are will they get in the team, obviously Shane will he's rugby royalty but the other two may struggle. I think Hook 15 could be a nightmare against Ireland, will he slot into midfield, cant see Priestland being dropped.
Next week will be fascinating to see how the young welsh players go
Molly, irishtimes.com or theexaminer.ie for good sports journalism.
And if you'd like to see forums that put our navel gazing to shame, have a look at boards.ie
Best, suspected collarbone. Massive loss with Flannery already back home. 🙁
isn't George North good
North is amazing,also very clever for his size.
Brakes; innocent till proven. Yellow would have been 10mins and no ban. Red a hearing and further sanction.
North is amazing,also very clever for his size.
good going forward but his defensive positioning is poor and he has looked shakey under the high ball. He needs to up his game next week. He will be ****in awesome in a year or two though if he retains his pace.
The way he was involved in that three way pass when stopped close to the line for Roberts? try would suggest to me that he can learn. A genuine talent,Shane as good as he was, is a throwback to the old days, North is the modern winger,huge and quick, but has a healthy dose of Shane's finishing gene. Getting away from all the bitching on here, seeing him and the rest of the Wales crowd going against DD's boys will be the highlight of the WC for me this time round as I cannot see any other game in the remaining draw topping it.
Wales really slayed the Fijians and Ireland controlled italy nicely. Def look the best 2 out of the NH sides. though you would always worry re France actually putting together 15 people who can play together. England can grind out results and do fight to the end.
Us scots well we are on the plane home. Glorious defeat again, not massively suprised as it was going to be tough but disappointed that our perrenial inability to cross the line or close out games has bitten us so badly. Confidence would have been helpful but you only get that from winning.
At least I can now just enjoy the rugby without the anxiety of waiting till we throw it away at restarts.
Ireland v Wales. Should be great game with attacking rugby and susp Wales might edge it.
NZ v Argentina. Even minus Dan the man should be a stroll for NZ
SA v Aus. Close but think the SA scrum will destro possession for Aus and SA to edge it.
Eng v Fra. Have to hope the French turn up and play or this could be a dirge of a game, too much like watching Scotland but without the hope you might win. Think England will grind it out.
Looking forward to both QFs in Welly. Wales Ireland in particular will be fun !
I see the IRB made t1ts of themselves again asking Scotland to be out of the hotel at 9am after the game even though, technically, they could still qualify and in fact up until halftime were. The more I read about the IRb influence the more fukked I become with it all - the new FIFA.
Saw Tonga at the airport Sun morning and shook a few hands, they were pumped still and a few had clearly been on the Turps all night !!
Armitage gets a week.
And @duckie,
seeing him and the rest of the Wales crowd going against DD's boys will be the highlight of the WC for me
+1
Can't wait (and [i]can[/i] wait in equal measure) 🙂
Armitage gets a week.
Good to see a guilty plea, IMO. No point trying to duck out of it, so well done him.
seeing him and the rest of the Wales crowd going against DD's boys will be the highlight of the WC for me
Surely if we throw enough negativity your way, dd, you'll eventually see the error of your ways and change your allegiances. Isn't that how this bullying works? 😕
It's just a shame they only put the important games on at 8.30am. Would like to watch Wales/Ireland, but 6am is quite early for brekkie.
D-S I meant crowd as in team, not anybody posting on here....
Apart from the odd contribution from Shandy, I'm largely on my own in this thread don. Apparently I mustn't enjoy the green machine's success thusfar because of their abject failure in '07.
If Wales vanquish us on Saturday, they will become my number 1 team. 🙂
We're on holidays on Saturday for a week. When booking, I was assuming that the morning QF against SA would be our last game anyway. 😳 As it's the 0600 game, I'll get to see it now anyway.
So once the game is over, we head for the airport so my quietness next week will be nothing to do with the result. 🙂
So once the game is over, we head for the airport so my quietness next week will be nothing to do with the result.
Ha! It's working, only the english would get the excuses in before the game... 😈
Wait up DD, the green machine is 1.5 on my list after england. If they are not playing england then I'm behind them all they way.
.Ha! It's working, only the english would get the excuses in before the game...
In england that is known as sporting modesty.
Darcy, I'm off as well, but will have time to gloat/grieve after the game on Saturday!
Where are you heading?
In england that is known as sporting modesty.
😆 😯
Headed for The Azores for the week O'Flashearty. You of course will be behind the green machine all the way if they win won't you? 😉
Darcy, I'll be supporting whichever of the four Northern Hemisphere sides gets through, you know that! However, if (and it's a pretty hefty if), Ireland do beat Wales, I'd probably have to have them as my number one team. After all, if Wales [i]were[/i] knocked out, I'd rather it was by the eventual winners....
(Not that I think Ireland will win overall, or will beat Wales, mind you!)
Never been to the Azores, so I look forward to a full review from you! I'll let you know what Barbados is like, too....! 8)
Darcy, I'll be supporting whichever of the four Northern Hemisphere sides gets through, you know that!
Much as it pains me to be pleased about something England did, part of me was glad to see the trophy come north of the equator it must be said.
Wait up DD, the green machine is 1.5 on my list after england. If they are not playing england then I'm behind them all they way.
+1
Azores...Barbados...wanders off muttering about a teachers salary...
Some interesting articles in the Belfast Telegraph this morning. The Irish confidence is certainly high. I believe that Ireland will beat Wales as they have beaten better sides recently. Ireland beat the Tri Nations champions and a stubborn Italy side by a good margin. Wales on the other hand lost to the bottom placed tri nations side and beat some 3rd tier teams to get through. Man for man Ireland are the better team and I believe the power up front and the experiece behind the scrum will see Ireland home by 5-7 points.
In the other games if France decide to turn up they will win. I think that Oz will beat SA and NZ will beat Arg by a distance.
Going forward, Ireland will beat France and Oz will beat NZ for Ireland to win in the final! woo hoo
Man for man Ireland are the better team
Really?
Irish prop better than Gethin?
Irish open side better than Warburton?
Irish centre better than Roberts, or on better form than Williams?
etc. etc.
Irish fly half better than any number of choices...? Oh, and let's ignore ROG, as he tackles like a strand of cold spaghetti.
Tommy Bowe doesn't count in your answer, as he's an honorary Welshman! 🙂
BlindMelon, we'll have none of that confidence from you puh-leeease. 🙂
Green machine definite underdogs in Wales game. Refs willhave to keep a close eye on which balls are being used. 😆
Interesting thing in the m-f-m match up is the inequities around the pitch. Fascinating encounter. I do [i]think[/i] Ireland have the game to beat Wales, but if Wales cut loose and Ireland fall behind early, I wouldn't be in the slightest bit surprised.
In the other games if France decide to turn up they will win.
They've surely got their failing to turn up game out of the way in the group stages this time - France for the cup.
Captain,
Yes, Gethin is a spent force. Healy was more than able for Castro
OB is European player of the year and while Warburton is good, he isn't that good.
Roberts again a very good player however Darcy was excellent yesterday and is more than a match for him. Plus the chap in the green 13 shirt isn't too shabby.
ROG will be alright the best backrow in the NH will look after him. i reckon that Rory Best is out so I'll give you one up for the hooker berth.
As for Tommy, he will want to come home after the world cup to play in the same team as some of his fellow winners!
Seriously though we need to take one game at the time but I really believe that Ireland are capable of something very special. And are more than good enough to beat Wales.
Gethin is a spent force
Are you [i]actually[/i] a melon? you're clearly blind! 🙂
best backrow in the NH will look after him
He's playing for France?
😉
As a neutral, i think Ireland will edge Wales. O'Brian and Ferris will have upper hand aginst Warburton etc... Ireland looked very sharp at weekend. Fiji are a bit pants so Wales' performance, whilst good, is relative. Losing another hooker must be a pain though...
Anyway good luck to both, and here's to a classic encounter!
Captain, Gethin is a decent player but he is definately not the player he was a few seasons ago. No need to get personal as to my optical ability. I'm not even going to rise to the France jibe.
DD confidence is a good thing my post to you before the Italy match...
While that would be funny, Ireland won't slip up against Italy they will win well in order to stay in the easier side of the draw
As for the France jibe, yeah very good!
Secretly, O'Flashearty will be cheering the French on if Wales go out BM. He finds it easy to switch allegiances 🙂
😆
You have to admit, though, his kick in to space was superb!
Very much looking forward to Saturday morning....!
my post to you before the Italy match...
Yep, you were bang on too BM. And welcome to the thread as well. I have to maintain a "worried" air all the time here - if I start displaying confidence, a few of the protagonists will destroy me if Ireland go out. 😳
if I start displaying confidence, a few of the protagonists will destroy me if Ireland go out
Hey don't sweat it. You've every right to display a bit of confidence - Ireland look a good bet for the final at least. Enjoy it. It's a nice feeling when you can look forward with optimism to your team's next performance in terms of both result and playing style.
Sure, Ireland may fail but the anticipation is often more delicious than the meal itself.
On the other hand:
Watching England in this World Cup has been more like observing the course of a rudder-less supertanker plowing on through the night with no hands on the bridge, save for Brave Captain Johnno, while the oafish, drunken crew blunder about aimlessly below.
To say that England have done themselves no favours with their behaviour is an understatement. Maybe the press is a bit out to get them more than Ire/Sco/Wal? They have been a little, shall we say, accident prone.
if I start displaying confidence, a few of the protagonists will destroy me if Ireland go out
Sure we might as well enjoy this world cup, its not like we have been able too in the past!